Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-12-08
WITH A TRUCK DRIVER.
RECKLESS DODGINe UNDER HORSES
FEET AT EVERY CROSSING.


with Drivers OF Heavy wagons-People
on Foot Seem to be to Blame for Most
Accidents
a reporter was sent out to spend a day or
two on the drivers seats. The heaviest
trucks were selected After negotiations with
several drivers he finally struck bargain
with q youss man named Jimmy, and Sc
cured q seat beside him for ride up Broad
way from Rector TO Canal street on losd Of
canned tomatoes. Broadway was not un-
usually crowded, as it was early in the day,
but the ride developed several startling in
cidents Asked if he had met with many
mishaps, Jimmy replied: mot very many.
1t is pretty tough to keep from doing it some
times, though, and l make close calls for
people crossin' streets, but never run over
nobody. Women are the worst. They'll
stand still and look up an down the street as
long as it is all clear, and then, just when
half a score wagons come in a bunch, they'll
try to give their husbands another chance by
dodging right in among the hoses"
"Whoa-uprn yelled Jimmy, as he nearly
fell backward in his efforts to stop the team,
and there was an exemplification of his re-
mark AT Cortlandt street an old lady had
taken too many chances for her feeble limbs
and was nearly under tho horses feet, but an
athletic, quick witted young man seized her
as she fell and assisted her out Of danger.
At Fulton street there was, as usual, great
jam, and Jimmy, as he expressed it, chad to
keep his eve peeled" A number of people
apparently had not another second to lose,
and rushed pell nell across Broadway. All
Of them escaped, however, although an old
gentleman of robust build moved off with
the conviction stamped upon his cOuntenance
that he would have been seriously damaged,
if not entirely ruined, but for his foresight
in raising his umbrella for protection from a
threatening milk wagon.
Opposite the postofice lady who looked
like a stage schoolmarm, and who escaped
danger by at least fifty feet, halted on the
curb to threateringly shake her sunshade at
the drivers collectively, while two men with
law books under their arms calmly pursued
their way, notwithstanding their shoulders
were grazed by the noses Of an Adams ex-
press team, while furniture van left axle
grease on their coat tails. 1t was not rare
thing during the trip to see people rush
right under the noses of horses, when a mis-
step or the slightest contact with another
equally rash pedestrian must have thrown
them under the animals feet. Near Duane
street, owing to a collusion of truck hubs,
Grated sewing machine was dumped from the
top of load on to an empty truck, while on
the opposite side, about where it would have
fallen had it gone that way, stood lady and
two children. The accident caused gen
eral stoppage, and the pole Of another wagon
smashed one Of the boxes and opened up two
cans of Jimmy's tomatoes, which were
greedily captured by two small boys at the
imminent risk of their limbs. A little way
TO the rear a beer wagon caught the preced-
ing wagon on the hook with which the for
ward end of the poles Of such wagons are
provided, and backing became necessary,
which caused the horse of e following cab
to shy. Thereupon the two young ladies
who occupied the cab precipitately fed,
sought the sidewalk that was furthest from
them and narrowly escaped being run over.
The profuse vocabulary of the truck driver
is painfully circumscribed as to the number
of phrases in vogue, but unlimited as to We
hemence It is fact, however, that there is
very little profanity reckleSsly cast adrift
The drivers, as a rule, rarely give Is express
sion, but allow it to accumulate for particu-
larly trying emergencies. a driver who was
interrogated on the subject explained that "a
good solid oath ightens heavy load wonder
fully sometimes ~ and some of them seem to
have faith in its accomplishing many other
things.
The return trip was made with grizzly
bearded, shaggy eyebrowed old man, whose
slouch hat seemed determined to outslouch
all of its competitors. He said he ''had been
twenty years teamin'. Used to be more aris-
tocratic and drive two spanllin' horses in a
red wagon for big dry goods house, but the
swells had no use for him now, and he had to
haul lime and horse hair for a plasterer"
Near Franklin street a truck coming up
street struck a drunken tramp, who was
staggering across West street, and but for
the fact that the stagger he was at that mo-
ment indulging was from instead of toward
the truck he would have been crushed under
the wheels, but the impetus added by the
contact with the truck deposited him safely
in the gutter, where a policeman captured
him
1t was now nearly o'clock, and from the
altitude of the lime wagon seat West street
in both directions appeared to be solidly
packed with teams, and it seemed impossible
that all could reach the warehouses and rail
road by o'clock. Yet the army assembled
was not all, for every side street was con-
tributing enough to fill any gap that would
admit anOLle1 Ieall. anu away up luc Sl1C
streets, as far as the eye could reach, the pro-
ression was moving steadily toward West
street In addition to the thousands of
trucks and wagons there were scores Of street
cars crowding their way along West street,
the several drivers seeming to be engaged i'll
championship whistling and yelling match
1t looked as if certain death must result
from an attempt to pass through that mass
of animals and vehicles, and yet, presto! all
is changed. A lane across the street, wide
enough to admit two teams abreast, appears
as if by magic, the horses standing neck and
neck in straight lines on either side and not
driver swearing. Why this Transformation?
A young lady on crutcheS is crossing the
street and she is unanimously accorded the
right of way, without even a policeman's in
reference. The lady reached the sidewalk
and every team was again in motion.
But few people attempted to cross the
street until the Cortlandt street ferry was
reached, when the first incident was fur
nished by half dozen emigrants, evidently
returning from the West. They plunged
boldly into the vortex and did not appear to
realize their danger until they reached tho
middle of the street, when one of them was
pinioned between the sides of two horses going
IN opposite directions, and he gave q grunt
that startled his companions, who fled in all
directions One of them lost a bundle, which
was quickly recovered, as its fate seemed to
be of moro consequence than that of their
imprisoned companion, who was allowed to
extricate himself.
The last and one of the most serious ac-
cidents noted occurred halfway between
Cortlandt and Liberty streets, where there
were comparatively few teams. A laborer,
who seemed to be taking proper precautions,
.gas crossing and stopped momentarily to al
low a wagon to pass, when tho hubs of two
cucks collided ard the pole of one wAs
swung around in such u manner as to strike
him in the side, knocking him down. and one
c;-the horses struck him with its foot. He
was rescued by two drivers and assisted into
n saloon, where it was discovered that no
bones were broken.-New Y ork World.
BATHING AT AIx-LES-BAINS.
Carried tn fIle RathfnR EsfabIiShment In